Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-02-15
S~OMERVILLE'S SPECIE
Continued from First Page.

States Senator, so long at least rs it has II
regularly nominated candidate. But the
distinguished gentleman from the county
of Jefferson SAYS that the practice of
party has not been uniform in the election
OF u Senator; that we have not always
made caucus nominations, ana that out
OF six United States Senators whom We
have elected only three have been
caucus nominees. This Is partially true
but the proposition stated in this form Is
unfairly stated, and amounts to a mere
lodging Of the issue. 1t is true that three
Of our Senators were elected in open SeS-
sion without first receiving a caucus nom
i%uatiOn, but that was not because We did
not caucuS Us 4 party, hui because on &C
count Of the number OF candidates the
caucus WAS not able To effect 4 nomination.
But, sir. no one knows better than the
gentleman from Jefferson himself that this
Is the first time i'm the history Of the State
when any portion oI the Democratic party,
ur any man or set Of men claiming
to be Democrats, ever refused to
acquirSce in the choice Of the
party caucus OF tried Ia defeat the party
nominee. Something has been Slid about
the election of Senators Davis and Here
ford in 1871. happened to be a member
of tine House OF Delegates ut that time, and
know whereof I speak. We commenced 10
caucus ut that session about one week be
fore the time fixed by law for the first hal
lot to be taken by the Legislature, and con-
tinued to do so night after night until that
ballot WAS taken, and then we continued
To ballot during the day and caucus at
night Tor about two weeks until aCOmbin-
ntI0n of Democrats and Republicans WAS
made which resulted in the election of the
gentlemen already named; and the
only reason why We did not make caucus
nominations was because u majority Oi the
caucus could not agree and not because
any Democrat declined Ia 90 into caucus
OF refused to be- bOund by its decision
Precisely the same thing IL true of the
election OF Senator CapertOn, and while
gentlemen whOrcluSe To 90 into or be bound
hy a party caucus deplOre the election OF
wealthy men to the United States Senate,
aud give that rs a reason for such refusal,
| call their attention To the fact that the
failure OF our party to make 4 caucus nom
nation in 1S17 resulted in the election
OF a gentleman who possessed
more wealth than has been possessed by all
OF the other Senators combined. At the
same time sir: | want to say that i voted
for that gentleman then and would do so
again il similarly situated. i voted Tor
him not because he was a man of wealth,
but because he was q Democrat and was fit
10 represent us in the Senate of the United
States, and | believe he could be trusted to
do so; and sir: | have never had cause to
regret that vote. The honorable gentle
man has taken considerable time to can
| yass i'm detail the records of number Ol
United States Senators from other States
of this Union. l know nothing,
sir, about the methods by which gentle
men have been elected or defeated for the
United States Senate in other Stetes. !
| know nothing about elections in Nebraska
| and California and elsewhere. | am not
able to call the roll of the United State
Senate, as my friend seems to be. This
may be, sir, because | nave never aSpired
to "A seat in that body, hut | want TO SAY
TO the honorable gentleman that we have
/ business of more importance engaging on
attention than the record Of Senator's iron
our sister States, and we have no time and
very few of us any inclination to eros
and re-crOSs the continent in ordel
that we may assist the people of Cal
ifornia in protecting themselves anC
their institutions against the en-
croachments ofthiS great hObgOblin of mon
opoly. But the distinguished gentlemen
from Jefferson and other gentlemen iron
that section o ftheS State say that the peopl
they represent are not in favor of caucu
nominations. When Sir, | ask was such
conclusion reached by them? Was 1t II
1870. when for the first time in the histor!
of the State it elected q Democratic Cover
nor. and conferred that high honor on
distinguished citizen of the county o
Hampshire? Was it four years later whel
another distinguished citizen Of the sam
county was nominated and elected a
Attorney General of the State? Was 1t
few years later when the honor
able gentleman from Jefferson
| himself was nominated for Congress IN TIN
Second district by a Democratic COnven
tiopP Or was il last fall when he wa
nominated and elected, and when you Mr.
| President, and others here, were noml
mated and elected to the present LeglSla
ture by Democratic conventions aud Dem
ocratic votes? To say, sir, that these PEG
pie are opposed to n caucus and a caucus
nomination, is to say that they are ready
TO dash the Democratic party to pieces
and to turn this State and its institutions
over TO the Republican party. That, SIR
is a Islander upon the fair name repu
tation ofthe Democrats of that section o
the State whiehthey dOnOt deserve, and tn
very presence of these gentlemen here n
caucus and convention nominees procialm
its utter falsity. And now, in conclusion
permit me to say that there Is but on
course for Democrats to pursue. We haY'
. candidate fairly, openly, and hon
estly nominated. He is entirely fit 10
the position and worthy of our support
We have no apology TO offer for his nom
~ination. He has ceased TO be the indiyid
ual choice of any man and become the can
didate and choice of the Democratic party
We owe it to our party and ourselves alik'
10 stand by him. IL is possible, sir, tina
- H. 1acaoka1 INIT hv remaining trul